Any use for Craftsman 10" table saw?

[jefm]

This saw has been living in my garage for years, the roommate who owned it moved out and left it. I've never used it, is it worth keeping at all? Didn't cost me anything, and I need to downsize.

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I already have a Festool track saw, MFT, router and jigsaw, I'm a hobbyist and quite novice anyway. The only thing I imagine the tablesaw doing is dado's and the guy said it can't do that anyway.

 

[Peter_C]

A table saw has lots of uses, and every wood worker needs one. Especially when it comes to ripping (Smaller pieces) and cutting really small pieces. Build a table saw sled for it and keep it. Youtube has plenty of videos for building table saw sleds. Make sure you get a decent blade for it though, depending on what you plan to cut.

My track saw is used a lot, and I do have a holey table for cutting on, but my portable table saw does things the track saw can not. Both are needed.

Watch a few safety videos too as table saws are dangerous. Check your finger location every time before making a cut.

 

[ear3]

I guess it depends on your current setup.  If you can have it in a place where it's not a pain either in terms of effort or dust creation then yes, it's good to have something with which you can do a quick rip of some 1/2" strips, for example.  Narrow pieces can be done with a tracksaw and MFT, but the setup takes longer, and it starts to get difficult as the workpiece becomes smaller than the size of the rail -- though that's not an absolute impediment, by any means.

Keep in mind that cross cut sleds take up space as well unless you can leave it parked on top of the table saw.  Since you have an MFT, I don't know how often I'd reach for the sled, however.

If you plan on doing any site work, then it might be good to hang onto.

I can't speak for the quality of the older craftsman portable saw, but I suppose you could give it away in anticipation of putting down money for a better portable saw + stand.

 

[jefm]

Thanks for the replies.
I still want to get rid of it, but will reconsider :}
Forgot to mention I have a little bandsaw I keep in the house and cut plastics with a lot.
I did watch a good sled video.
The DPO had nothing good to say about his saw I figure if I ever try it I'll take it apart first and give it a once over.

 

[Birdhunter]

If there is a Woodcraft, Rockler, or other woodworking store in your area; they might be able to refer you to a good table saw introduction class. There, you can learn how to adjust the saw, how to use the safety guards, and how to safely use the tool.

A properly adjusted table saw equipped with the appropriate safety guards can be a wonderful tool. On the reverse side, a badly adjusted table saw or one used without the safety guards can maim the user in a millisecond.

In my opinion, safety glasses and common sense are the two best safety measures.

 

[Oops Now Fix]

"Table Saw" is a big word. What you have there is, well, junk. You'll spend a ton of time trying to get accurate cuts with it before throwing it (with all that scrap lumber) away and sticking with your Festools. A GOOD table saw with an ACCURATE fence will easily set you back over $1500 - or - you can spend $150 on a 50 year old Contractors Saw and $500 on an Incra TS-LS fence. This combination is excellent for ripping lumber, but still won't match the crosscut accuracy of your TS and MFT.

 

[Birdhunter]

I failed to look at the picture. I agree with Beverly, junk.

 

[Holmz]

"Table Saw" is a big word. What you have there is, well, junk. You'll spend a ton of time trying to get accurate cuts with it before throwing it (with all that scrap lumber) away and sticking with your Festools. A GOOD table saw with an ACCURATE fence will easily set you back over $1500 - or - you can spend $150 on a 50 year old Contractors Saw and $500 on an Incra TS-LS fence. This combination is excellent for ripping lumber, but still won't match the crosscut accuracy of your TS and MFT.

No matter how nice a tracksaw one has, there are times when cutting narrow piece is better done even on a crap table saw.
But I agree on the idea of upgrading to a different 50 year old saw to add a fence to that.

I used a crapsman for a while.
As far as junk... maybe comparing it to $2000 of 'saw and tracks'... or a different table saw.
But almost any  table saw is not junk if one needs a table saw.

The crapsman was not great, but basically the motor spins the blade on all saws., and on all saws the blade cuts the wood.
I cannot fathom how the wood would know that the table saw is crap and come out as scrap?
I admit that the fence was totally 'second hand'. But once you measure and do a test piece and bump it around then it always worked.
I had a sled for it and a massive 2x4 block of maple of the front on the mitre to use to push stock through.
And if one replaced the fence then the fence would be more accurate.
The tilt feature was just truly bad.

The work that came off of it looked fine.

 

[Staniam]

[member=40772]Holmz[/member] I can't fathom how wood would know what kind of saw cut it up either. Another funny line.

Anyways, I agree that a table saw is or can be a great tool to have in a shop but I haven't needed one since I purchased the TS 55. That's just me. I've been able to rip small pieces with it without much difficulty.

By the looks of it, the saw y I use inherited might need to be tossed. Unlike what someone said about having to drop at leqst $1,500 to get a good table saw, really, you can get a good "portable" table saw for 3 or 4. Bosch makes really nice portable table saws I believe. Heck, there are plenty of brands that make good table saws far less than $1,500.

 

[Holmz]

Yeah [member=41633]Staniam[/member] - I am getting most things done with a tracksaw too. I keep coveting an Erika, but during sober moments I realise it is more want than need.

The craftsman was pretty bad, but I did 3 oak doors, which turned out well.
One uses what they have available...

 

[rst]

I have an ancient craftsman 8" that I keep for ripping aluminum.

 

[jefm]

Thanks again for the notes. (I had Notify off and missed them)
Crapsman... hehehe.
I did take a class some while ago so I have some tablesaw time. It was on a huuuuuge cabinet makers Sawstop so I was spoiled. I just haven't used one on my own, what few projects I've done were all tracked, banded, jigged, radial'd or routed.

I'll keep the stupid thing for now as I can't afford to replace it, and try building a sled for it.

 

[Picktool]

Not for nothing but you have a disc sander there.

Pop one of these in it.

Might not be junk after all, well for now that is. $30

 

[leakyroof]

Not for nothing but you have a disc sander there.

Pop one of these in it.

Might not be junk after all, well for now that is. $30

. Hey good point...  Making lemonade type of thing... [wink]

 

[Tinker]

I agree that saw is junk.  However, one of the finest site craftsman i ever worked with always used a very cheap crapsman table saw.  He used it for all the rips and some cross cutting until the motor would start to fail.  He just went to his truck and dragged out the spare. within a day or so, he had another spare, either at his house, or on the truck. He did put good blades on the saw. 
Tinker

 

[Holmz]

It is not the finest machine ever, but I used to make decent stuff on one.
I think if the thing is square and has a good blade an Incra fence would work a wonder. Ideally the model that also would go on a future saw.

Or you could donate it to a men's shed, church/temple/mosque or some one who can use it.